Expansible hose reel



Aug. 13, 1935. J. A. CRAIG EXPANSIBLE HOVSE REEL Filed Aug. 15, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 vil/l4 in J 5 5 IHIFIUMIIHJU. Q 1. i ZEFE II I. 4. 1 .1 I I W\ R O T N E V m ATTORNEY- Aug. 13, 1935.

,1. A. CRAIG EXPANSIBLE HOS E REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1953 INVENTOR- efamesfl'raf'fi- BY 1 41M fill WM ATTORNEY- Patented Aug. 13, 1935,

PATENT OFFICE EXPANSIBLE HOSE REEL y James A. Craig, Peekskill, N. Y. Application August 15, 1933, Serial No. 685,199

9 Claims.

ine-present invention relates to an improve-'- ment in hose reels and has for its primary object the provision of means whereby, upon occasion of a fire,- the hose may be rapidly unreeled, and the water be'discharged from the nozzle thereof, be-

fore the hose has been fully unreeled, thus saving valuable time.-

main advantage in the present constructlon isobtained, in that, as soon as the reel is put i into operation, the wound up fiat hose thereon is immediately and gradually distended with water under pressure, and this hydraulic action causes the reel to-expand its capacity in two directions, both laterally and circumferentially, thereby per-,

" mitting the water to fill the hose at a fast rate and thusthe water reaches the flames as quickly as the nozzle can be broughtto the fire.

' .While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose my invention so that'the same 1 canbe readily understood, described in general terms and'illustrated specific devices and arrangeconsidered aspart of this invention.

ments, I desireto'have'it understood that this invention is not limitedto the specific form disclosed butmay be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves, in'view of this broad disclosure,

to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is broadly new and it isdesired to claim it as such so that all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be In thedrawings, l Fig. 1 is a side view, in elevation of the reel with the empty hose shown reeled flat thereon, innormalnon-ioperative'position; 1

'Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2, Fig.

l, lookingin the direction of the arrows, but with the difference that the hose is shown partly distended with water atits inner portions and the reel thereby caused to be expanded through hydraulic displacement action; I 3

Fig. 3 is a fragmented, sectional view of the reel, only, taken on line 2-2, Fig.- 1, looking inthe direction of the arrows; 1 a 3 Fig.4 is a transverse sectional view of the sliding reel seatrung and wheel spoke or arm, taken on theline 4 -4, Fig. 3, looking in thedirection of the arrows; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are diametral sections similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of reel, shown normally non-,operative in Fig. 5, and expanded in Fig. 6. r .-,The reel. comprises two duplicate wheel like, structures having circumferential rims 2 which are joined to offset hubs '3 by spokes I. r

The both wheel structures are mounted loosely,

indicated by-clearances 25 for sidewise sliding upon a shaft5, which is a pipe for carrying water to the reeledhose I4, The pipe shaft 5 is capped with a reel stop cap 6 on its outer end, and at its opposite inner end, external to the coacting wheel, is connected to a rotatable flanged coupling of standard design, so that when the reel iscaused to rotateby the withdrawal of the hose therefrom the pipe shaft 5 rotates in the coupling 1.

Coupling I, in turn is connected firmly to a means for conducting water from a source of water. supply, under pressure, such as an elbow connection 8, a pipe 9 connected thereto and having a water controlling valve H] to cut ofi or turn on, the water, manually, from a source of water, not shown, which enters the stand pipe 9 in the directionof the arrow ll, Fig. 2.

, end, capped by a hose coupling, generally denoted by I3, whereby the hose M, at its inner end may be connected to extension pipe I2 to form a continuous water duct from stand pipe 9 to the hose nozzle l5, Fig. 2. r

The inturned hubs 3--3 of the wheels have cut outs 44 therein to provide a passage clearance for the extension pipe l2, when-the two wheels or reel sides are in normal non-expanded condition, as inFigQB. l. The arms ljof the wheels forming the reel sides are channeled as at IT, Figs. 3. t0 6, both to gain longitudinal strength and to form'guideways for the sliding hose rungs 16, one of which is transversely mounted between eachopposed pair of arms 2, shown dotted in Fig. 1 and in full'lin'es in Fig. 4.

Thelhose rungs l6 are provided with reduced machined ends I8,Fig. 4, in order to provide wider .surfaceswith which to supportthe hose and to gain in case of sliding in the channels l1, during the operative periods of the reel. 1

The hose rungs I6 are loosely mountedln the channels H, are full floatingand are each supported in their operative assembled positions be-.

As thus described, and shown in Fig. 4, the reel is in non-operative position, and when the hose is wound thereon, and the device set for use, as in Fig. 1, the hose is in flat empty form and reeled rather closely on the rungs and to the reel sides. With the valve it] closed, the apparatus is ready to function. I

When a fire occurs, the operator opens valve iii, grasps the nozzle 95 and runs towards the flames. Immediately upon the opening of the valve ill the water flows into the flat hose M at its center through extension pipe i2, and distends the hose. As this distension requires more space than the normally fiat wound hose requires, the distended hose forces the floating hose rungs inwardly towards the hubs 3-3 and this action, through the toggle like action of the fulcrum springs l9, causes the reel sides to moveapart, with a sliding action on pipe shaft 5, until stopped by the members 6 and l, and, thus, increased reel space for the rapidly distending hose is obtained by a duplex action, i. e. the inward contraction of the hose rung ring and the outward movement of the reel sides fromposition A to dotted position B, Fig. 4.

Theinward contraction of the hose rungs is fully illustrated in Fig. 2, in which the central sections of the hose are shown in the partially distended position and have moved the floating rungs I6 towards the pipe shaft 5,.with a consequent flattening of fulcrum spring 19, an extension of spring 2 I, and an expansion movement of the reel sides.

As above described, by the time the operator andthe nozzle have reached the fire zone, water is flowing from the nozzle at full pressure, because the fiow of water into the hose is more rapid than the nozzle can be carried to the fire zone.

After the reel has been emptied of the hose and the reel sides and rungs are relieved of the burden of the hose, the fulcrum springs l9, supplemented by the extension springs 2i, bring the reel sides back to their normal contracted positions A.

Figs. and 6 disclose a modified form of fulcrum run as a substitute for the resilient fulcrum spring is and rung it, of Fig. 3. Inthese views, like parts, having like functions, of Figs. land 4 inclusive have similar indices as in Figs. 1 to 4. In Fig. 5 there is shown a pair of toggle links 25 pivoted together at 2l, w"lth their outer ends pivotedto the side walls of the channel ll of the spokes I. In this figure the reel sides are shown'in normal, non-operative, contracted hose holding position A.

. In Fig. 6, the reel sides are shown in operative, expanded position B, giving a consequent side expansion of the reel sides and an inward radial increase of space, due to the inward movement of the toggle rungs 25. The toggle rungs 25 of thesetwo figures are prevented from going to dead center, as in Fig. 6, by the stop action of the cap plug 6 and the rotatable coupling 1. As described for Figs. 1 to 4, when the structure of Figs. 5 and 6 are released of hose load the springs 25 on each arm 8, contract the reel sides, and the toggle rungs 25 are automatically reset to the position shown in Fig. 5.

' What I claim is:

' 1. A hose reel comprising spaced reel sides between which a hose may be wound; and means for supplying water under pressure to said hose; one of said sides being movable from the other by the distending action of the hose when water under pressure is admitted to the hose.

2. A rotatably mounted hose reel comprising spaced reel sides yieldably relatively outwardly movable from each other; a collapsible hose adapted to be wound about said reel between said sides, the sides being sufiiciently spaced to allow several overlapping collapsed convolutions of the hose side-by-side and superposed in the reel; means for supplying water under pressure to the inner end of the hose before and while unwinding, thereby to distend the inner convolutions of the hose and separate said sides, thereby to relieve pressure on the inner and outer convolutions to facilitate the passage of water toand through all of the convolutions.

3. A hose reel comprising spaced reel sides; and rungs disposed between the sides about which a hose may be wound; means for supplying water under pressure to the wound hose; said rungs being movable inwardly and one of said sides being movable from the other by the distending action of the hose when water under pressure is admitted to the hose.

4. A rotatably mounted hose reel comprising spaced reel sides yieldably relatively outwardly movable from each other; rungs disposed between the sides and inwardly yieldably movable toward the axis of the reel; a co-llapsiblehose adapted to be wound about said rungs, the sides being sufficiently spaced, and the rungs sufiiciently remote from the periphery of the sides to allow several overlapping collapsed convolutions of the nose side-by-side and superposed in the reel; means for supplying water under pressure to the inner end of the hose before and while unwinding thereby to distend the inner convolutions of the hose, separate said sides and move the rungs inwardly, thereby to relieve pressure ,on the inner and outer convolutions to facilitate the passage of water to and through all of the convolutions.

5. A hose reel comprising a valve controlled source of water supply under pressure; a rotatable coupling pipe shaft communicating with said source; an extension pipe for connecting a hose to said coupling pipe shaft; a pair of reel sides mounted on said coupling pipe shaft for movementtoward and from each other and rotation with said coupling shaft; springs for drawing said sides toward each other; toggle rungs connecting said reel sides and mounted to move outwardly from the shaft at their mid part when the reel sides move toward each other; and stop means on the coupling pipe for limiting the inwar movement of the'toggle rungs.

6. In combination a hose reel comprising a. valve controlled source of water supply under pressure including a rotatable coupling pipe shaft communicating with said source, and a collapsed hose wound upon said reel; an extension pipe for connecting the hose to said coupling pipe shaft; 2. pair of reel sides mounted on said coupling pipe shaft for movement toward and from each other and rotation with the shaft; a plurality of springs for drawing said sides toward each other; of spaced toggle rungs connecting said reel sides and mounted to move outwardly from the shaft at their midpart when the reel sides move toward each other and movable toward and from the coupling pipe shaft, and about which said hose may be wound while said toggle rungs are at their radial outward limit of movement; the admission of water to'said hose causing the hose to presssaid toggle rungs radially in-' wardly and separate said reel sides, thereby facilitatingthe rapid filling of the hose.

7. An expansible hose reel comprising in combination a pair of spaced wheels, rungs, for receiving a hose, spanning the space between said wheels, said rungs moving bodily inwardly radially of said wheels upon the admission of water to a hose coiled about said rungs, and members bridging the space between said wheels in the path of movement of said rungs, movement of said rungs elongating the said bridging members to increase the hose carrying capacity of the reel.

8. An expansible hose reel comprising in combination a pair of spaced wheels, rungs, for receiving a hose, spanning the space between said wheels, each of said rungs constituting a toggle with the two ends thereof attached to said wheels, inward movement of said toggle rungs due to the admission of water to a hose coiled about said rungs forcing the said wheels apart to increase the hose carrying capacity of the reel.

9. A hose reel comprising spaced reel sides between which a hose may be wound; a collapsed hose wound upon said reel, means for supplying water under pressure to said hose; and means operated by the distending action of the hose when water under pressure is admitted to the hose for separating said sides.

JAMES A. CRAIG. 

